Back in September, Arriva London proudly announced that they would be the first operator in London to deliver a bus service using the brand new Enviro 400H City double-decker bus.

This week saw the delivery of that promise, with the introduction of the new buses on route 78 from Shoreditch to Nunhead, a route that Arriva London has recently retained to run on behalf of TfL for a further five years.

Peter Batty, Commercial Director at Arriva London was delighted to say:

“The new look bus is stunning and brings together a whole range of passenger and driver advantages, including a wrap-around windscreen and glazed stairwell. We are delighted to be the first operator in London to introduce them on route 78, and now they are in service see their full potential.”

The bus is the same length as the New Routemaster, but slightly wider, and with increased head room on the upper deck, allows for more comfortable movement when taking or leaving seats.

The 10.4m long, two-door bus, is capable of carrying ninety passengers and is the continuation of the introduction of environmentally friendly buses in London , representing a further evolution of hybrid electric buses, giving greater fuel economy and reduced emissions.

Although the Enviro 400H City has some similar lines to the New Routemaster, it has also some distinctive styling of its own, particularly on the upper deck, with the panoramic window at the rear offering an excellent view for passengers.

Despite only having driven the bus during training to familiarise himself with the vehicle and for a day in service, Arriva London driver Mohammad was full of praise for his new charge.

“They’re very nice, I really like it. It’s very smooth, the braking is nice, the windscreen and mirrors are big and it’s hybrid and environmentally friendly, I feel great to be part of it.”

There are currently five buses on the route, but there will be a total of nineteen introduced over the next few weeks. Once you have taken a ride on the new bus, please let us know your thoughts.

As the festive season approaches, we all look forward to the good-will of giving and receiving, and this was truly illustrated last week when members of our staff made a tour of London, on our open top bus, to meet representatives of some of their charities they give to through their Payroll Giving and celebrate #GivingTuesday.

This year’s Lord Mayor’s Show, on 11th November, was an amazing cause for celebration, not only to welcome in the new Lord Mayor, but also to celebrate another year of Platinum giving by our wonderfully generous Payroll Givers.

Preparations are complete for our display entry in this year’s Lord Mayor’s Show on Saturday. The Arriva London theme again this year is to celebrate the enormous contribution our staff make to charities through the Payroll Giving scheme. With over 1,000 staff supporting over 160 charities every week, and over £1,000,000 having been given in the last five years.